WINTER BIRD Walk In Hull
A winter bird walk in Hull for winter sea birds and migrants. Presented in partnership
The Boston Birding Festival is excited to partner with the WCT and others to bring greater attention to Boston’s urban green space and advocate for conservation and greater access to parks and nature.
Simply by birding the trail and sharing your observations, you can help create more awareness of important outdoor corridors and encourage greater access to and protection for green space in the city. The data you collect will help shape urban planning decisions, increase and direct conservation efforts toward neighborhoods that have been neglected, and contribute to a better understanding of Boston’s urban ecology.
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Stony Brook Reservation with Brookline Bird Club
There are several ways to participate:
1. If you are a beginner birder, join one of the Boston Birding Festival’s organized Walking City Trail Bird Walks. We’ll post the schedule with target trail segments here soon, or sign up for email.
2. Join one of the WCT’s walks and bird while hiking, then send us your list. You must also register in advance for a WCT walk.
3. Lead your own walk with your own group or bird club, family, class, book club, scout troop, church group, office, etc., and share your list with us (info below). If you need assistance, we can usually find a volunteer for you.
4. Walk a section of the trail on your own or with friends and share your observations with us. You can use our spreadsheet (sign up here first and we’ll send you a link) or you can email us a spreadsheet of your own and we’ll combine your data with the group data. If you can also share photos, that would be fantastic. Email reports to hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org and put WCT in the subject line. Thank you.
5. Volunteer to lead a bird survey yourself along a segment of the train, or to be one of this project’s administrators.
6. Partner with us to organize a survey walk led by your club or organization.
Using community data, WCT is planning to publish a checklist sometime in 2026. Thank you!
Connecting 17 Boston neighborhoods from the Neponset River Reservation to Bunker Hill Monument, the Walking City Trail is a 27-mile urban hiking path through some of Boston’s most scenically immersive parks, urban wilds, gardens, and residential neighborhoods. It was created in 2022 by a hearty crew of Boston ramblers.
The “WCT” is divided into four segments ranging from 6 to 8 miles. Each can easily be split into two shorter section hikes. Each Walking City Trail section is accessible by public transit at multiple points and includes access to public restrooms, water, and food. You can hike the Walking City Trail in small pieces, or complete the whole thing over a day or two. The trail is yours to “activate” as you see fit!
As cities expand their multi-use trails, it’s time to expand our idea of where hiking can happen. The city is a rustling, fragrant, and historically loaded ecosystem in which pathways and street walks can be connected to create long-distance hiking routes. What better way to discover urban hiking than by hiking Boston, where visionaries like Frederick Law Olmsted brought the natural world to the city with the Emerald Necklace linear parks? Or where thousands of people walk the Freedom Trail each year?
Learn more: https://www.bostontrails.org
Many thanks to the individual birders, bird clubs, volunteers, sponsors, and others who help organize these walks, lead these walks, and welcome new birders. We are grateful for your enthusiasm and for your dedication to equity, conservation, and access to green urban spaces.
SHERRIN WOODS in Hyde Park, Part of the WCT. PHOTO BY Ed Lyons, CREATIVE COMMMONS
DUCKS ON JAMAICA POND. PHOTO BY tamlin37, Creative Commons
Want tips on being a good surveyor? We’ve got you covered. [LINK]
PS, yes, please report dead birds–see this other project. [LINK]
Download a copy of a list of Massachusetts birds. Here’s ours if you need one. [LINK]
Did you complete a walk? Share your data using this form. Submit this form with your checklist to add your data to the project. [LINK]
Or, if you are an eBird user, share your list with BosBirdFest and we’ll compile it.
Want to assist in organizing this initiative? Volunteers welcome! Email us at hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org
Thank you!
Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Arnold Arboretum, PHOTO BY KrisNM, Creative Commons
Scarlet Tanager in Boston Garden, PHOTO © MBADGER
THE CHIRP SPORADIC
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MAILING ADDRESS
Registered Agent
The Boston Birding Festival
82 Wendell Ave. Suite 100
Pittsfield, MA 01201 USA
hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org
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COMING SOON
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